Clot Volume Research Articles

Demographics, Clinical profile, Causes and Outcome of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Neurosurgical Unit in Manipal Teaching Hospital of Western Nepal

Background: This research article aims to evaluate the demographic variables, clinical profile, causes and outcome determinants of spontaneous intracerebral hematoma (SICH) in a population of Western Nepal. The study represents the cases of SICH reported from Manipal Teaching Hospital, a tertiary center at Gandaki province of Western Nepal.
 Materials and methods: Retrospective data collection and analysis were done with consecutive cases of SICH admitted to our center between January 2018 and March 2019. The variables analyzed include age, gender, chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, history of tobacco abuse, alcohol abuse, Glasgow coma score (GCS) on admission, radiological(CT scan) findings, treatment modality, an outcome at 6 months period, etc. Modified Rankin score (mRS) was used to assess the outcome at discharge and after six months. 
 Results: Our study group of 237 patients included 171 males and 66 females and the mean age of presentation was 64.02 years. The study group included 121 patients (51.1%) who were previously diagnosed with systemic arterial hypertension and 15 patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The most frequent locations of hematoma were basal ganglia (n=127), lobar (n=94), intraventricular hemorrhage (n=69), cerebellar (n=15) and brainstem (n=11). The mean volume of the blood clot on admission was 25.97 ml. surgical evacuation of hematoma and decompression through craniotomy was done in 52 (21.9%) patients. Independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes includes the variables like headache (p=0.007), aphasia (p=0.017), mean GCS score (p=0.00) and motor GCS score (p=0.00); CT finding of intraventricular extension of hemorrhage (p=0.00), midline shift (p=0.00), intracerebral blood volume (p=0.00); and surgery (p=0.007).
 Conclusion: ICH predominantly affects a younger population in Nepal in comparison to the Western world. The variables include clinical features like headache, aphasia, pupillary size and reaction, mean GCS score and motor GCS score; CT finding of intraventricular extension of hemorrhage, midline shift, intracerebral blood volume; and surgery were the predictors of an unfavorable outcome. On binary logistic regression, the ICH score was the most consistent predictor of unfavorable outcomes in terms of MRS (OR 2.236, p=0.002).

Hypertensive Retinopathy and the Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke

ObjectiveHemorrhagic stroke (HS) and hypertensive retinopathy are known end organ damage of the brain and eye respectively, with HS having deleterious consequence to the patients. This study is to correlate between hypertensive retinopathy and HS in hypertensive disease. MethodsA control group of hypertensive patients only, and an investigated group of hypertensive HS patients. Fundoscopic examination to determine the grade of retinopathy was performed and then divided into low or high severity hypertensive retinopathy. Clinical and radiological parameter included are demography, vital signs, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) on admission, clot volume, site of clot, Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score and Glasgow outcome scale (GOS). Data were correlated with the severity of hypertensive retinopathy. ResultsFifty patient in the control group and 51 patients in the investigated group were recruited. In the hypertensive HS group, 21 had low severity retinopathy (no or mild retinopathy) accounting for 41.2% and 30 patients had high severity (moderate or severe retinopathy). In the hypertensive patients 49 had low severity and one had high severity (p-value of 0.001). In HS group low severity showed better GCS score of 9–15 on admission (p-value of 0.003), clot volume less than 30 mL (p-value 0.001), and also a better 30 days mortality rate by using the ICH score (p-value 0.006), GOS score of 4 and 5 the low severity retinopathy fair better than the high severity retinopathy (p-value of 0.001), and the relative risk to develop HS in low severity and high severity retinopathy was 0.42 and 29.4, respectively. ConclusionHypertensive retinopathy screening could be used as an indicator in hypertensive patient, to evaluate the risk of developing hypertensive HS in the future.

Impaired Contraction (Retraction) of Blood Clots Is a Possible Pathogenic Mechanism in Venous Thromboembolism

Introduction: Deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs, alone or associated with pulmonary embolism, complicates many diseases and remains as one of the most challenging medical and social problems due to a relatively high incidence and life-threatening risk.Blood clots undergo volume shrinkage induced by the contractile forces of activated platelets and propagated through the clot volume due to platelet-fibrin interactions and elasticity of the fibrin network. This process is known as clot contraction (retraction) which remains one of the least studied steps of blood clotting. Moreover, this phenomenon of clot contraction has been shown to occur not only in vitro but also in in vivo, but its (patho)physiological importance remains unclear.Aims: This work was designed to examine the potential pathogenic role of clot contraction in venous thromboembolism (VTE).Methods: We investigated contraction of clots formed from the blood of 55 patients with VTE compared with those of 60 healthy donors. Patients with suspected pulmonary embolism underwent a CT scan of the chest with contrast, which was performed in 32 (58%) patients, of which 23 (71%) were diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. VTE patients were excluded from this study if they were given anticoagulants, thrombolytics or antiplatelet drugs at least 7 days prior to examination. Determination of the kinetics and the extent of clot contraction was carried out using an original method based on the optical detection of clot size over time with the Thrombodynamics Analyzer System (HemaCore, Russia). Functionality of isolated platelets from 11 patients with VTE and 11 control samples of healthy donors was assessed by expression of P-selectin (CD62p) and active integrin αIIbβ3 (determined by its fibrinogen-binding capacity) before and after activation with thrombin-receptor activation peptide (TRAP). Isolated platelets from 4 healthy donors and 4 patients with VTE were prepared for scanning electron microscopy.Results: The main finding of this work was that the degree of clot contraction in blood from patients with VTE was significantly reduced (32±2%) when compared to that of healthy subjects (51±1%, p<0.0001). The average velocity of clot contraction in VTE patients (0.3±0.01%/sec) was also remarkably lower than in healthy donors (0.4±0.01%/sec, p<0.001). In addition, the contraction of clots from deep vein thrombosis patients associated with pulmonary embolism was significantly impaired compared to the isolated vein thrombosis (29±2% and 35±2%, respectively, p<0.05), suggesting that clot compaction could lead to a decrease of the risk of embolization. In patients with acute thrombosis lasting <21 days, the initiation time (lag time) of clot contraction was significantly suppressed compared to VTE patients with subacute thrombosis lasting >21 days (198±15 sec and 128±19 sec, respectively, p<0.05). The reduced ability of clots to contract correlated with adverse changes in the blood composition and pronounced platelet dysfunction. In VTE, platelets were initially activated as revealed by the frequently observed shape change and formation of filopodia in platelets from VTE patients (average 75%, n=4211), compared to the less common morphologically altered platelets from healthy subjects (average 41%, n=480, p<0.001). In contrast to the morphological changes, there was no significant difference in the background platelet activation assessed by the levels of P-selectin expression and αIIbβ3 activation in unstimulated cells. However, unlike in resting untreated platelets, in response to TRAP-induced stimulation, platelets from the blood of VTE patients had a significantly lower expression of P-selectin compared to TRAP-activated normal platelets (30±6.6% and 43±5.8%, respectively, p<0.05). TRAP-induced stimulation also resulted in a reduced fibrinogen-binding capacity compared to the TRAP-activated normal platelets (41±8% and 60±7%, respectively, p<0.05).Conclusions: The results obtained suggest that contraction of clots and thrombi is an underappreciated pathogenic mechanism that may affect the course and outcome of VTE. The clinical importance of the reduced clot contraction as well as the diagnostic and prognostic value of the clot contraction assay in VTE is worth further exploration.The work was supported by the Program for Competitive Growth at Kazan Federal University. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Predictors of surgical outcome among patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage: A prospective single institutional study

Introduction: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a potentially devastating neurologic emergency with long-term functional independence achieved in only limited patients with good prognostic factors. The objective of this study is toidentify the predictors of functional outcome in terms of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) following craniotomy and evacuation of spontaneous supratentorial ICH.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology: It is a prospective study of forty patients conducted at the College of Medical Sciences (CMS) from May 2019 to April 2020 with three months follow-up. Patients of spontaneous supratentorial ICH with features of raised ICP and deteriorating GCS underwent surgical evacuation. The various predictors of outcome like Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and pupillary inequality at presentation, age, location of hematoma, clot volume, comorbidities, intra-ventricular extension and involvement of dominant hemisphere were documented and compared with outcome in terms of modified Rankin Scale (mRS).&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: The mortality rate at three months was 25% (32% in deep seated and 13.3% in lobar ICH) and higher in patients with poor GCS and pupillary inequality at presentation, volume &gt;100 ml, intra-ventricular extension and patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy. Twenty patients (50%) had a favorable outcome (mRS 1-3) at follow-up, while 20 (50%) had a poor outcome (mRS 4-6). Unfavorable outcome was significantly higher among deep seated hematoma, age&gt;70 years, poor GCS and pupillary inequality at presentation, clot volume &gt;100ml, pre-existing co-morbidity, patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy and involvement of dominant hemisphere.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: Surgical evacuation of spontaneous supratentorial ICH is associated with high mortality in patients with poor GCS and pupillary inequality at presentation, and large clot volume with intraventricular extension. However, young patients with good pre-morbid status, moderate volume of hematoma, not involving dominant hemisphere and moderate to good GCS have good functional outcome.

Prediction of Early Recanalization after Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients with Large-Vessel Occlusion.

Background and Purpose We aimed to develop a model predicting early recanalization after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) treatment in large-vessel occlusion. Methods Using data from two different multicenter prospective cohorts, we determined the factors associated with early recanalization immediately after t-PA in stroke patients with large-vessel occlusion, and developed and validated a prediction model for early recanalization. Clot volume was semiautomatically measured on thin-section computed tomography using software, and the degree of collaterals was determined using the Tan score. Follow-up angiographic studies were performed immediately after t-PA treatment to assess early recanalization. Results Early recanalization, assessed 61.0±44.7 minutes after t-PA bolus, was achieved in 15.5% (15/97) in the derivation cohort and in 10.5% (8/76) in the validation cohort. Clot volume (odds ratio [OR], 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.961 to 0.997; P=0.020) and good collaterals (OR, 6.129; 95% CI, 1.592 to 23.594; P=0.008) were significant factors associated with early recanalization. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model including clot volume was 0.819 (95% CI, 0.720 to 0.917) and 0.842 (95% CI, 0.746 to 0.938) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The AUC improved when good collaterals were added (derivation cohort: AUC, 0.876; 95% CI, 0.802 to 0.950; P=0.164; validation cohort: AUC, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.886 to 1.000; P=0.036). The integrated discrimination improvement also showed significantly improved prediction (0.097; 95% CI, 0.009 to 0.185; P=0.032). Conclusions The model using clot volume and collaterals predicted early recanalization after intravenous t-PA and had a high performance. This model may aid in determining the recanalization treatment strategy in stroke patients with large-vessel occlusion.

Asymmetrical Forces Dictate the Distribution and Morphology of Platelets in Blood Clots.

Primary hemostasis consists in the activation of platelets, which spread on the exposed extracellular matrix at the injured vessel surface. Secondary hemostasis, the coagulation cascade, generates a fibrin clot in which activated platelets and other blood cells get trapped. Active platelet-dependent clot retraction reduces the clot volume by extruding the serum. Thus, the clot architecture changes with time of contraction, which may have an important impact on the healing process and the dissolution of the clot, but the precise physiological role of clot retraction is still not completely understood. Since platelets are the only actors to develop force for the retraction of the clot, their distribution within the clot should influence the final clot architecture. We analyzed platelet distributions in intracoronary thrombi and observed that platelets and fibrin co-accumulate in the periphery of retracting clots in vivo. A computational mechanical model suggests that asymmetric forces are responsible for a different contractile behavior of platelets in the periphery versus the clot center, which in turn leads to an uneven distribution of platelets and fibrin fibers within the clot. We developed an in vitro clot retraction assay that reproduces the in vivo observations and follows the prediction of the computational model. Our findings suggest a new active role of platelet contraction in forming a tight fibrin- and platelet-rich boundary layer on the free surface of fibrin clots.

Intravesical Blood Clot Retention? How We Manage It, a Tertiary Hospital Preference

Intravesical blood clot retention is one of the Urological emergencies. Ongoing haematuria and blood clot formation in the bladder obstruct the urine outflow and lead to urinary retention, abdominal pain, anemia, urinary tract infection (UTI), and renal function deterioration. Most of the cases required cystoscopy blood clot evacuation and definitive surgery to stop the ongoing bleeding. This study aimed to discover the demography, characteristics, management, and complication of patients with intravesical blood clot retention in Dr. Soetomo General Acadenic Hospital, Surabaya from January 2017 until April 2020. This is an observational study, a retrospective-descriptive design. We conducted a review on the medical records of 97 patients, 76 males and 21 females with an average age of 54.9 years old. Of all patients initially treated conservatively using normal saline irrigation with a large three-way catheter (22-24 fr), four were successfully treated without surgery, and 89 patients underwent cystoscopy and definitive surgery. The mean operation time was 69,6 minutes, with an average blood clot volume of 167,7 ml (25-600 ml). Sources of bleeding were mostly originated from malignancy (58%), Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (10%), and hemorrhagic cystitis (7%). The most common comorbidity found was hypertension (13) and chronic kidney disease (10). Based on our experience, managing intravesical blood clot retention with cystoscopy continued with definitive surgery in a one-step procedure is a good approach. Urological malignancy is the most frequent abnormality that causes intravesical blood clot retention.

Analysis of Clinicoradiological Profile and Outcome of Traumatic Basal Ganglia Hematoma: A Perspective from Level 1 Trauma Center

Introduction: This study was conducted to analyze clinico-radiological profile of traumatic basal ganglia hematoma and identify its prognostic factors.&#x0D; Methods and Materials: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of neurosurgery, Trauma center of Banaras Hindu University from September 2016 to March 2020. All patients with traumatic basal ganglia hematoma based on admission CT scan were enrolled and their demographic, clinical, radiological details were maintained till the time of discharge and subsequent follow up. Follow up period was a maximum of two years.&#x0D; Results: Out of 41 patients of traumatic basal ganglia hematoma, 68% of cases were males in their third decade. Road traffic accident (76%) was the major etiology. 32% had severe head injury, 78% had hemiparesis at admission and 58% patients required ventilatory support. The mean volume of clot was 15.46 millilitres. Only 24% cases had isolated traumatic basal ganglia hematoma. Advance age, associated intraventricular hemorrhage, ventilator dependence, large hematoma (volume &gt;20 millilitres) and poor Glasgow coma score at admission were significant prognostic factors (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Traumatic basal ganglia hematoma is a rare entity. Advance age, large volume of hematoma, associated intraventricular hemorrhage, poor Glasgow coma score at admission and ventilator dependence are poor prognostic factors.

Clinical, operative, and outcome analysis of giant extradural hematoma: A retrospective study in tertiary care center.

Background: This study is aimed to find a critical volume of operated giant or massive extradural hematoma (EDH) that affects outcome significantly and analyze them with respect to their clinical, surgical, and outcome perspective.Methods: This retrospective study includes 253 patients operated for EDH in emergency in the Department of Neurosurgery of IMS BHU, Varanasi, India, a tertiary care center, between August 1, 2018, and November 1, 2019. Giant EDH critical volume was evaluated. Twenty-nine patients with giant EDH with clot volume ≥ 80 ml were further analyzed for clinical, surgical, and outcome predictive factors. Statistical analysis was done using Prism GraphPad ver. 8.0.0. P value was taken at 0.05.Results: Dichotomized group analysis with Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) 4–5 versus GOS 1–3 for testing clot volume revealed significance difference with P < 0.001. Mean volume of GOS 1–3 came out to be 79.68 ml. Hence, we took clot volume >80 ml for further analysis. The most common age group was 20–40 (55.17%). M2 (31.03%) was the most common best motor response in operated giant EDH cases. Most of them were having severe (79.31%) head injury. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission (P < 0.0001), pupillary changes (P = 0.0032), and best motor response (P < 0.0001) was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with outcome following surgery for giant EDH.Conclusion: Giant EDH with volume ≥ 80 ml is associated with poorer outcome. GCS at admission, pupillary changes, and best motor response is predictors for surgical outcome of giant EDH.

Advances in Therapeutic Approaches for Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) results in high rates of morbidity and mortality, with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) being associated with even worse outcomes. Therapeutic interventions in acute ICH have continued to emerge with focus on arresting hemorrhage expansion, clot volume reduction of both intraventricular and parenchymal hematomas, and targeting perihematomal edema and inflammation. Large randomized controlled trials addressing the effectiveness of rapid blood pressure lowering, hemostatic therapy with platelet transfusion, and other clotting complexes and hematoma volume reduction using minimally invasive techniques have impacted clinical guidelines. We review the recent evolution in the management of acute spontaneous ICH, discussing which interventions have been shown to be safe and which may potentially improve outcomes.

Hemodynamic effects of blood clots trapped by an inferior vena cava filter.

The alteration of blood flow around an OPTEASE inferior vena cava filter with one or two blood clots attached was investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics. We used a patient-specific vein wall geometry, and we generated different clot models with shapes adapted to the filter and vein wall geometries. A total of eight geometries, with one or two clots and a total clot volume of 0.5 or 1 cm3 , were considered. A non-Newtonian model for blood viscosity was adopted and the possible development of turbulence was accounted for by means of a three-equation model. Two blood flow rates were considered for each case, representative for rest and exercise conditions. In exercise conditions, flow unsteadiness and even turbulence was detected in some cases. Pressure and wall shear stress (WSS) distributions were modified in all cases. Clots attached to the filter downstream basket considerably increased averaged WSS values by up to almost 50%. In all the cases a flow recirculation region appeared downstream of the clot. The degree of flow stagnation in these regions, an indicator of propensity to thrombogenesis, was estimated in terms of mean residence times and mean blood viscosity. High levels of flow stagnation were detected in rest conditions in the wake of those clots that were placed upstream from the filter. Our results suggest that one downstream placed big clot, showing a higher tendency to induce flow instabilities and turbulence, might be more harmful than two small clots placed in tandem.

Relationship of White Matter Lesions with Intracerebral Hemorrhage Expansion and Functional Outcome: MISTIE II and CLEAR III

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients commonly have concomitant white matter lesions (WML) which may be associated with poor outcome. We studied if WML affects hematoma expansion (HE) and post-stroke functional outcome in a post hoc analysis of patients from randomized controlled trials. In ICH patients from the clinical trials MISTIE II and CLEAR III, WML grade on diagnostic computed tomography (dCT) scan (dCT, < 24h after ictus) was assessed using the van Swieten scale (vSS, range 0-4). The primary outcome for HE was > 33% or > 6mL ICH volume increase from dCT to the last pre-randomization CT (< 72h of dCT). Secondary HE outcomes were: absolute ICH expansion, > 10.4mL total clot volume increase, and a subgroup analysis including patients with dCT < 6h after ictus using the primary HE definition of > 33% or > 6mL ICH volume increase. Poor functional outcome was assessed at 180days and defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≥ 4, with ordinal mRS as a secondary endpoint. Of 635 patients, 55% had WML grade 1-4 at dCT (median 2.2h from ictus) and 13% had subsequent HE. WML at dCT did not increase the odds for primary or secondary HE endpoints (P ≥ 0.05) after adjustment for ICH volume, intraventricular hemorrhage volume, warfarin/INR > 1.5, ictus to dCT time in hours, age, diabetes mellitus, and thalamic ICH location. WML increased the odds for having poor functional outcome (mRS ≥ 4) in univariate analyses (vSS 4; OR 4.16; 95% CI 2.54-6.83; P < 0.001) which persisted in multivariable analyses after adjustment for HE and other outcome risk factors. Concomitant WML does not increase the odds for HE in patients with ICH but increases the odds for poor functional outcome. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov trial-identifiers: NCT00224770 and NCT00784134.

Clinical Profile and Predictors of Outcome in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage from a Tertiary Care Centre in South India.

Background. This article attempts to evaluate the clinical profile and outcome determinants following hypertensive SICH in a South Indian population. The study represents the largest series of SICH reported from a single centre in India. Materials and Methods. Prospective data collection and analysis of patients with SICH admitted to our centre between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2018. The variables analysed include: age, sex, comorbidities, Glasgow coma score (GCS) on admission, radiological features, treatment modality, and outcome at three months. Modified Rankin score (mRS) was used to assess the outcome at discharge and three months. Results. Our study group of 905 patients included 638 males and 267 females and the mean age at presentation was 58.10 ± 12.76 years. The study group included 523 patients (57.8%) previously diagnosed hypertensive, of whom 36.3% (n = 190) were on irregular medication. The most frequent locations of hematoma were basal ganglia (478), thalamus (202), lobar (106), cerebellar (61), brainstem (31), and primary intraventricular haemorrhage (27). Secondary intraventricular extension was seen in 425 (47%) patients on admission. The mean volume of the clot on admission was 23.45 ± 19.79 ml, and clot progression was seen in only 46 (5.08%) cases. Surgical evacuation through craniotomy was done in 147 (16.8%) patients, and external ventricular drainage (EVD) was placed in 56 (6.2%) patients. Overall 3−month mortality was 30.1% (266 patients). On the last follow up a favorable outcome (mRS 0−3) was observed in 412 (45.53%) patients and a poor outcome (mRS 4−5) in 207 patients (22.87%). Independent predictors of mortality are Age >70 (p = <0.001, OR 4.806, 95% CI 3.064–7.54), admission GCS <8 (p = <0.001, OR7.684, 95% CI 5.055#x2013;11.68), and Hematoma volume >30 ml (p = <0.001, OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.626–3.691). Intraventricular haemorrhage was an additional poor outcome predictor (p < 0.015, CI 1.105–2.585). Surgical evacuation reduced mortality in the group, but morbidity rates remained the same. Conclusions. SICH predominantly affects a younger population in India in comparison to the Western society. Elderly age, poor GCS on admission, clot volume above 30 ml and intraventricular extension remain the most consistent predictors of death and poor outcome. Further studies are needed to assess the risk of SICH among hypertensive patients and to prognosticate the outcome after SICH using novel predictors, including biomarkers.

The Functional Outcome of Spontaneous Hypertensive Supratentorial Intracerebral Haemorrhage after Surgery

This study was to determine the different parameters that affect the outcome and the functional recovery after surgical evacuation of spontaneous hypertensive supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage. This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in the Department of Neuro- surgery, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh during a period of 4 years from January 2016 to December 2019 and total 96 patients were included in this study. Patients with post-traumatic hematomas, intracranial space-occupying lesions with bleeds, haemorrhagic transformation of an ischemic stroke, vascular malformations, aneurysms, and infratentorial haemorrhages were excluded from the study. Decompressive craniotomy and evacuation of clot was performed in most of the cases. The outcome of the patients was categorized according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Outcome was classified as “favourable” if the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score was 5 or 4, and classified as “unfavorable” if GOS score was 3 or less. The mean age of the patients was 57.99±12.74 years with male and female ratio was 1.66. The mean blood volume was 28±19.99 cc and all patients were hypertensive. There was significant difference (p &lt;0.001) in outcome in relation of age and volume of blood. Age &gt; 70 years, GCS &lt; 8 on admission, clot volume above 40 cc, and intraventricular extension remain the most consistent predictors of mortality and poor outcome following surgical evacuation of spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hematoma. The present study could only assess mortality and the functional outcome. Since a proportion of survivors had an unfavorable outcome, quality of life measures is important and need to be addressed in future studies.

Derivation of a Bleed to Brain Ratio to Predict the Need for Surgery in Head Injury.

The Monro-Kellie hypothesis states that the cranial compartment is incompressible, and cranial volume cannot expand. Human cranial volumes vary widely. However, the present guidelines for surgical evacuation are based on the volume of a single bleed. We hypothesized that the ratio of the total volume of blood clots in the brain to the volume of normal brain tissue must reflect the chances of developing increased intracranial pressure more accurately. Compare the ratio of bleed volume to intracranial brain volume (bleed--brain ratio, BBR) in head trauma patients who had undergone surgery with those who did not require surgery. Estimate the cutoff value for this ratio that could predict the need for surgery. An exact planimetric method using a Hounsfield unit bracketing strategy was used to derive total bleed volume and the intracranial volume in 212 head trauma patients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to assess the predictive power of BBR for surgery. A cutoff value for the BBR with clinically significant sensitivity and specificity was estimated. The intracranial volume varied from 955 ml to a maximum of 1,525 ml. The total bleed volume and BBR was significantly different in the two groups. Using the ROC curve, we found that a BBR of 0.0535 had a sensitivity of 90.6% and a specificity of 52.6% to predict the need for surgery. We demonstrated that the BBR was superior to bleed volume alone in predicting the need for surgery. Although the ratio estimated by the tedious planimetric method was more accurate, an easier less precise method had reasonable accuracy and can be considered for everyday use. BBR could be particularly useful in those head trauma patients who have multiple irregular sized bleeds where the surgeon is undecided on the need for surgery.

P689 Surgical treatment of a right heart thrombus-in-transit with massive bilateral pulmonary embolism

Abstract Introduction Right heart thrombi are rare, found in up to 20% of pulmonary emboli (PE), and associated with significantly increased mortality(1). A thrombus entrapped in a PFO is a rare form of right heart thromboembolism. Clinical Case A 73-year-old male patient who had dyspnea for 10 days, was transferred to our hospital for the surgical treatment of a cardiac tumor. We performed TTE which revealed a free floating, huge mass( measuring more than 8 cm long) in the right atrium, that protruded in the right ventricle, with high risk of embolization. Another smaller mass, attached to the interatrial septum. Severe right ventricular dysfunction and severe pulmonary hypertension were present. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography was performed, which revealed severe bilateral pulmonary artery emboli with complete occlusion of right pulmonary artery branch. Clinical and paraclinical data strongly suggested that the huge cardiac mass was a thrombus that originated from the lower extremity veins. TEE showed that the thrombus was entrapped through the PFO, with a smaller part in the left atrium and the biggest portion in the right atrium. The patient underwent an emergent on-pump surgical cardiac and right pulmonary artery embolectomy. The right atrium was opened and a huge intracardiac thrombus with a lengh of 14 cm extending from the coronary sinus, to PFO in the left atrium and also in the right ventricle was removed. The right branch of the pulmonary artery was opened and a large volume of clot- 9 cm long- was removed. The patient was removed from cardio-pulmonary by-pass (CPB) on high doses of norepinephrine and dobutamine and necessitated initiation of venous-arterial ECMO to support the severe right heart dysfunction. He was extubated after 10 days, with little improvement in the clinical status. Transthoracic echocardiography showed smaller right heart cavities), normal left ventricular function, but persistent severe RV dysfunction and severe pulmonary hypertension. In the thirteenth postoperative day, he installed cardio-respiratory arrest and he died. Discussion In this report we describe a case of a patient with a huge intracardiac thrombus, entrapped through a PFO, associated with massive pulmonary embolism, with late presentation in our hospital and severe refractory right heart dysfunction. He underwent successful embolectomy, which is a unique procedure in the treatment of an acute pulmonary embolism and entrapped thrombus in a PFO. Conclusion The treatment of choice for emboli-in-transit is controversial. In a recent review, surgical thromboembolectomy showed a trend toward improved survival and significantly reduced systemic emboli compared to anticoagulation. Thrombolysis in these patients may cause fragmentation of thrombus and systemic embolization, resulting in increased mortality. Management decisions should be made with multidisciplinary coordination and consideration of complicating factors such as PFO. Abstract P689 Figure. Extensive biatrial thrombus

The Effect of Clot Volume and Permeability on Response to Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and AimsThe characteristics of clot causing acute ischemic stroke, such as size, content, and location, are among the main determinants of response to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator [IV tPA]. Clot heterogeneity and permeability are under-recognized features that might provide additional information in predicting the efficacy of IV tPA. Methods and PatientsPatients with proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion treated with “IV tPA alone” were included. The mean Hounsfield's unit (HU) value, as objective measure of clot attenuation, and its standard deviation (SD), as proposed measure of clot heterogeneity, were obtained. The difference in HU values between CT Angiography and CT was defined as “clot permeability”, or “perviousness’. The size (length and volume-mm3) of pre-clot pouch and occluding clot along with ASPECT score and Maas’ silvian and leptomeningeal collateral score were measured. ResultsThe study included 84 cases (44 women, age: 68 ± 14 years, pretPA NIHSS: 16 ± 5). Patients with excellent response to tPA (31%) had lower thrombus volume (37.54 ± 32.37 versus 63.49 ± 37.36, P = .009) and heterogeneity (4.05 ± 1.49 versus 5.35 ± 2.34, P = .011), along with higher clot permeability (48 ± 35.48 to 31.32 ± 18.62, P = .006). However, significance of permeability did not survived in the regression analysis with adjustment for NIHSS (β:−.296, P = .003); clot volume (β:−.240, P = .014) and collateral status (β:.346, P < .001). In patients with good prognosis, clot volume was significantly lower (37.76 ± 30.08 versus 67.57 ± 37.83, P < .001), whereas permeability was significantly higher (43.97 ± 32.33 versus 31.13 ± 19.01, P = .026). However, this effect did not persist in the regression analysis after adjustment for NIHSS (β:−.399, P < .001), collateral status (β: .343, P < .001) and clot volume (β:−.297, P = .001). Clot permeability was significantly higher (45.78 ± 36.34 versus 33 ± 20.2, P = .045) and heterogeneity was lower (4.1 ± 1.55 to 5.27 ± 2.32, P = .028) in patients with dramatic response to tPA (27%). In patients responding positively to IV tPA (48%), clot permeability was numerically higher (39.85 ± 31.79 to 33.47 ± 19.28, P = .268), while clot volume (48.15 ± 34.5 to 62.07 ± 39.62, P = .093) was lower. Clot volume, permeability and heterogeneity did not show a significant difference in any (38.1%) or symptomatic (8.3%) bleeders after IV tPA. The chance of IV tPA to be beneficial increased in patients with clot volume lower than 45 mm3, with an increased likelihood of this benefit to be observed within the first day after IV tPA. Our detailed explorative ROC analysis was not able to detect a volume threshold above which the positive effect of IV tPA disappeared. ConclusionClot volume is critical for the effectiveness of IV tPA in acute ischemic stroke. Clot permeability and heterogeneity may modify its effect. CT technologies, which are readily available when evaluating a stroke patient in an emergency setting, provide us with useful parameters regarding the size, permeability and heterogeneity of the clot.

Mechanical behavior of in vitro blood clots and the implications for acute ischemic stroke treatment

BackgroundClot mechanical properties are influenced by composition and the arrangement of components within the clot. This work investigates the effects of platelet-driven contraction on blood clot microstructure and mechanical behavior,...

Association of Cerebrospinal Fluid Volume with Cerebral Vasospasm After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Volumetric Analysis.

In aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), clot volume has been shown to correlate with the development of radiographic vasospasm (VS), while the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume remains largely elusive in the literature. We evaluated CSF volume as a potential surrogate for VS in addition to SAH volume in this retrospective series. From a consecutive cohort of aneurysmal SAH (n= 320), cases were included when angiographic evaluation for VS was performed (n= 125). SAH and CSF volumes were volumetrically quantified using an algorithm-assisted segmentation approach on initial computed tomography after ictus. Association with VS was analyzed using regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate predictive accuracy of volumetric measures for VS and to identify cutoffs for risk stratification. Among 125 included cases, angiography showed VS in 101 (VS+), while no VS was observed in 24 (VS-) cases. In volumetric analysis, mean SAH volume was significantly larger (26.8 ± 21.1ml vs. 12.6 ± 12.2ml, p= 0.001), while mean CSF volume was significantly smaller (63.0 ± 31.2ml vs. 85.7 ± 62.8, p= 0.03) in VS+ compared to VS- cases, respectively. The absence of correlation for SAH and CSF volumes (Pearson R - 0.05, p= 0.58) indicated independence of both measures of the subarachnoid compartment, which was a prerequisite for CSF to act as a new surrogate for VS not related to SAH. Regression analysis confirmed an increased risk of VS with increasing SAH (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.11, p= 0.006), while CSF had a protective effect toward VS (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-0.99, p= 0.02). SAH/CSF ratio was also associated with VS (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, p= 0.015). ROC curves suggested cutoffs at 120ml CSF and 20ml SAH for VS stratification. Combination of variables improved stratification accuracy compared to use of SAH alone. This study provides a proof of concept for CSF correlating with angiographic VS after aneurysmal SAH. Quantification of CSF in conjunction with SAH might enhance risk stratification and exhibit advantages over traditional scores. The association of CSF has to be corroborated for delayed cerebral ischemia to further establish CSF as a surrogate parameter.

Analysis of Thrombotic Deposits in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenators by High-resolution Microcomputed Tomography: A Feasibility Study.

Coagulative disorders, especially clotting during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, are frequent complications. Direct visualization and analysis of deposits in membrane oxygenators using computed tomography (CT) may provide an insight into the underlying mechanisms causing thrombotic events. However, the already established multidetector CT (MDCT) method shows major limitations. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying industrial micro-CT (µCT) to circumvent these restrictions. Three clinically used membrane oxygenators were investigated applying both MDCT and µCT. The scans were analyzed in terms of clot volume and local clot distribution. As validation, the clot volume was also determined from the fluid volume, which could be filled into the respective used oxygenator compared to a new device. In addition, cross-sectional CT images were compared with crosscut oxygenators. Based on the µCT findings, a morphological measure (sphericity) for assessing clot structures in membrane oxygenators is introduced. Furthermore, by comparing MDCT and µCT results, an augmentation of the MDCT method is proposed, which allows for improved clot volume determination in a clinical setting.